OCT 13, 2021
DG Brownies are supporting two charities for Black History Month and Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October. We are donating 25p from each purchase to these education-based charities to raise awareness and support them in their critical missions. This first blog post explores the origins of Black History Month, and what it means to DG Brownies Co-Founder Ayo Shonibare. DG Brownies raised £127.78 for YoungMinds in September, aiding their mission of supporting the mental wellbeing of young people and their loved ones.
Carter G Woodson established Black History Week as a national celebration in the US in 1926, which expanded to become an annual month-long event in 1970. Seventeen years later, Akyaaba Addai-Sebo lead a team in creating the UK’s Black History Month in 1987, celebrating key achievements, events, and contributions by Black people to the economic, political, social, and cultural spheres of life in the UK. Celebrating Black History Month has never been more important, given the watershed #BlackLivesMatter movement of 2020.
This year’s campaign, Proud To Be, encourages Black people to share stories of taking pride in who they are to celebrate Black heritage and culture.
Ayo Shonibare, Co-Founder of DG Brownies speaks candidly about Black History Month:
“I support Black History Month for my parents, migrating over from Nigeria close to 30 years ago. They really struggled when they landed in the UK. For me, it’s to celebrate my efforts, my wider family’s efforts, and kind of just reflect on the hardship that the black community has faced. It’s good to know where you come from.
My parents raised me to be proud of who I am and not shy away from the fact that I am Black. We often closed race-related conversations around the notion; if you believe in yourself, and you believe what you are doing adds value, it doesn’t matter what race you are".
When I first started working full time and my parents asked me how my day was, I think that in itself is a reflection of what we’ve achieved as a family, and how far we’ve made it.
Black History Month is not limited to October. It’s an ongoing conversation with friends and family about abolishing stigmas around Black people. The news and media doesn’t always portray Black people in a positive way, and it's so important to talk to each other and have these conversations to abolish stigmas. Being a business owner is a great way to indirectly talk about Black achievements”.
